1 Reply Latest reply on Dec 29, 2020 9:39 AM by Holly Rivet

    Seeking military records & certificate of father

    Elizabeth Reed Newbie
    Elizabeth Reed Dec 27, 2020 6:58 PM

      Hello. My Father recently passed away and I have been trying to get a copy of his Military records. He was in Vietnam from 1965-1967. All I have is a blurry, hard to read, one piece of paper. I need to get a copy of his DD-214 records before I can apply for any of his benefits. That was what I have been told.

       

      I noticed that he was given a DD-257 MC certificate from serving in the Vietnam War. How do I find out what this means? I would also like to receive another if it's possible. My Father also told me of several things that he experienced medically. How can I find this out as well? Can anyone help me please? Thank you!

       

        • Re: Seeking military records & certificate of father
          Holly Rivet Tracker
          Holly Rivet Expert Dec 29, 2020 9:39 AM (in response to Elizabeth Reed)

          Dear Ms. Reed,

           

          Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

           

          We suggest that you request a copy of his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. In many cases where Army and Air Force personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. Navy and Marine Corps OMPFs were not affected by the fire. Please complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO  63138-1002. Veterans and their next of kin also may use eVetRecs to request records. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. Certain information in the records is not available to the general public without the written consent of the veteran or his next of kin. For more information see Request Military Service Records.

           

          Many records from the Marine Corps and Navy from this time period were reformatted to microfiche by the branches prior to being sent to the NPRC.  We strive to provide the best copies available.

           

          You may find more information about the DD 257 MC at this VA webpage.

           

          Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NPRC is closed except for emergencies. Currently, NPRC will continue servicing requests ONLY associated with medical treatments, burials, and homeless veterans seeking admittance to a homeless shelter. If your request is urgent, please see Emergency Requests and Deadlines. Please refrain from submitting non-emergency requests such as replacement medals, administrative corrections, or records research until NPRC returns to pre-COVID staffing levels. Please check archives.gov/veterans for updates to the NPRC operating hours and status. We apologize for any inconvenience.

           

          We hope this is helpful.

           

          Sincerely,

          Holly Rivet